Bed-bottom



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE. i

` RUFUS LEAVITT, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

BED-BOTTOM.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 21,263, dated August 24, 1858.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, RUFUS LEAVITT, of the city of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Construction of Spring-Bottoms for Beds and Sea-ts, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters'of reference thereon marked.

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional elevation, Fig. 2, a reverse partial plan, and Fig. 3 a cross sectional elevation of a bedstead embodying my invention. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are views showing modifications of the arrangement and construction of the springs. Figs. 7, and 8, are details showing the-pin and catch by which the spring bottom is confined to the bedstead.

The slats (a) which support the springs (b) may be placed either lengthwise or across the bedstead and are supported at their ends by the bedstead rails in the usual manner. The springs (Z9) are formed of hoop steel, of spring temper', by being bent so as to bring their ends near each other and to the slats to which they are secured. I prefer to bend the steel, or other suitable metal for the spring, until it forms a complete circle and its ends overlap each other so that the astenings which conine the spring to the slat shall pass through both ends 'of the spring, but it may be made as represented by Fig. (6), or in some such similar form. Two or more springs may be combined similarly tothose shown in Figs. (4;) and I prefer to confine the tops of the springs to a webbing or sacking by sewing or riveting, but they may be left unconined and a matress placed directly upon them. When the tops of the springs are `confined and united by being connected to a webbing or sacking I`make use of the catches (c), which are secured to the webbing or sacking, and the pins (d), Ywhich are fixed in the bedstead, for the purpose of securing the spring bottom `to the bedstead and to aiord an easy andquick means of attaching and detaching the spring bottom and bedstead.

The catch (c) and pin (d) are represented in Figs. 7 and 8 on a larger scale than in Figs. l, 2, and 3.

The catch (0) is a piece of metal furnished with holes at one end or other suitable means for attaching it to the webbing or sacking (c). It is pierced near this end with a hole of suflicient size to allow the head of the pin (d) to pass easily through. From and joining this hole and extending toward the other end of the catch (c) a slotted hole is made whose breadth is slightly greated than the diameter ot' the body of the pin (d).

To secure the spring bottom to the bedstead when combined with webbing as shown `in the drawings it is necessary to compress the springs nearest the catches '(6) and slip each catch over the head of its pin Then the springs are released they will draw the catches upon the pins to the position shown in the drawings, thereby securing the spring bottom to the bedstead.

The operation of detaching the bottom is similar to that described for attaching it to the bedstead, and either of them can be performed in 'a Very short time.

Among the advantages accruing from my invention may be mentioned its economy and the ease with which it may be applied to those bedsteads of nearly every variety of construction now in common use; the noiseless action of the springs; the ease with.

which the spring bottom can be e'ffectually cleansed, when the springs are attached to the slats by screws so that they can be removed from them and be boiled with the webbing, and the small compass into which the spring bottom can be packed. without dismemberment.

I claim- The construction of an elastic bed bottom by means of a series of springs constructed and arranged substantially in the manner herein described.

RUFUS LEAVITT.

Witnesses:

J. B. CROSBY, S. A. SHELTON. 

